Understand Your Blood Test Results in Plain English
Understand what your blood test results may mean with clear, evidence-based explanations written in plain English.
Explore common laboratory tests, learn what they measure, understand normal reference ranges, and discover what high or low results may indicate in an educational context.
Whether you're checking a Full Blood Count (FBC/CBC), cholesterol, ferritin, PSA, HbA1c, thyroid function, liver function, kidney function or vitamin levels, Detectives Health helps you better understand your laboratory results before discussing them with your healthcare professional.
- Evidence-based educational content
- UK, US & International laboratory reference ranges
- Developed under Biomedical Science leadership
- Educational only — never a diagnosis
Understanding one abnormal blood test does not usually provide the whole picture.
Laboratory results are interpreted alongside symptoms, medical history, medications and other investigations.
Detectives Health helps explain laboratory results in an educational context before discussions with your healthcare professional.
Most Searched Blood Tests
Explore our most frequently searched blood tests.
Learn what each test measures, understand normal reference ranges, discover what high or low results may indicate, and prepare informed questions for your healthcare professional.
Choose a category below or search for your blood test to begin learning.
Full Blood Count (FBC)
How your body carries oxygen and fights infection. Made in bone marrow: red cells carry oxygen, white cells defend, platelets start clotting.
A Full Blood Count is one of the most commonly requested blood tests and helps assess oxygen transport, infection, inflammation and blood cell production.
Coagulation & Clotting
Clotting is a chain reaction of proteins. When you bleed, factors activate like dominos to turn liquid blood into a solid plug. Too long → bleeding risk. Too short → unwanted clots.
Coagulation tests help evaluate how effectively the blood forms and controls clots, which is important before surgery and during anticoagulant therapy.
Liver Function
Your liver processes nutrients, removes waste, and builds proteins (including clotting factors). These tests show how well it is working.
Liver function tests help assess how well the liver is processing nutrients, clearing waste and producing essential proteins.
Kidney Function & Electrolytes
Kidneys filter the blood, balance salt and water, and control blood pressure. These tests check how well they clean and balance.
Kidney function and electrolyte tests help assess filtration, fluid balance and the levels of minerals essential for nerve, muscle and heart activity.
Diabetes & Blood Sugar
Your pancreas controls blood sugar (insulin) and releases digestive enzymes. These tests show energy balance and digestion health.
Glucose and HbA1c tests help evaluate blood sugar regulation and are central to identifying and monitoring diabetes and prediabetes.
Cholesterol & Heart Health
Cholesterol and triglycerides build up in artery walls. Cardiac enzymes detect heart muscle damage. Together they show your heart attack and stroke risk.
Lipid and cardiac markers help assess long-term cardiovascular risk and detect heart muscle stress or injury.
Iron, Vitamins & Minerals
Iron, vitamins and minerals are essential building blocks. Deficiencies cause fatigue, weakness, bleeding, and slow healing.
Iron, vitamin and mineral tests help identify deficiencies that may contribute to fatigue, anaemia, poor immunity and reduced wellbeing.
Inflammation, Hormones & Special
Inflammation markers show tissue stress. Hormones control speed, mood, growth and sexual health. PSA links to prostate health.
Inflammation, hormone and specialist markers help assess tissue stress, endocrine balance and prostate health in an educational context.
Explore laboratory medicine by organ
Each Organ Health module is a professionally written educational chapter explaining how the organ works, which laboratory tests assess it, healthy habits and symptoms worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
- Cardiovascular HealthHeart, blood vessels and circulation.Open module →
- Lung & Respiratory HealthBreathing, oxygen exchange and infection.Open module →
- Liver HealthDetoxification, digestion and protein production.Open module →
- Kidney HealthFiltration, fluid balance and electrolytes.Open module →
- Diabetes & Blood SugarInsulin, HbA1c and long-term metabolic health.Open module →
- Thyroid HealthMetabolism, energy and temperature regulation.Open module →
- Bone HealthCalcium, vitamin D and bone strength across life.Open module →
- Hormones & EndocrineSex hormones, cortisol and endocrine glands.Open module →
- Infection & ImmunityCRP, ESR and the body's immune response.Open module →
- Vitamins & NutritionIron, B12, vitamin D and essential minerals.Open module →
- Coagulation & BleedingPT, INR, APTT and clotting balance.Open module →
- Blood Parasites & TravelBlood films, malaria and travel medicine.Open module →
- Pregnancy & MaternalAntenatal laboratory tests and maternal health.Open module →
- Children's Laboratory TestsPaediatric ranges, growth and development.Open module →
- Prostate HealthPSA, screening and prostate wellbeing.Open module →
- Breast HealthAwareness, screening and breast wellbeing.Open module →
- Healthy AgeingLong-term monitoring for later life.Open module →
Can't find your laboratory test?
Use the search bar or upload your laboratory report.
Our Intelligent Laboratory Interpretation System can identify laboratory markers and prepare a structured educational interpretation for Expert Review.
Need help understanding your own laboratory results?
Upload your laboratory report and receive a professionally structured educational interpretation prepared using the Detectives Health Intelligent Laboratory Interpretation System.
Every Premium report is reviewed and authorised before release to help ensure clarity, consistency and educational quality.
- Upload unlimited laboratory reports
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- Download professional PDF reports
- Print reports
- Listen to narrated educational reports
Educational information only — not a diagnosis or medical advice.
Developed under Biomedical Science Leadership
The Detectives Health Blood Test Library has been developed and reviewed by the Detectives Health Professional Team under the scientific leadership of Steve Diongo, Founder of Detectives Health and HCPC-Registered Specialist Biomedical Scientist.
Educational content is continuously reviewed using recognised laboratory standards, current scientific evidence and professional best practice.
Educational information only. Detectives Health helps explain laboratory results but does not diagnose disease, prescribe treatment, replace professional medical advice or provide emergency medical care.